Hand of the Father: Index
by Wulf-and-Athy
Summary: An index of background information and short stories regarding my story "Hand of the Father".
1. Chapter 1

**-0-0-****« ****About the "Hand of the Father" ****»****-0-0-**

Hello I'm Wulf and Athy is my wife. We've enjoyed the Harry Potter series for some time. Athy has long enjoyed the fan fiction, but it wasn't until Less Wrong's '_Harry Potter and the Method's of Rationality_' that I began to read them.

We both always intended to do a bit of writing. I like the possibility of getting my writing read and reviewed. So please feel free to review and let me know what you think or tips on how to improve our combined skills in writing. So thanks to thenoblestar13, for kicking off the reviews.

"Hand of the Father" will combine several ideas we've come up with, but mostly it is a 'For Want of a Nail' story. What if James Potter had been away from home when Voldemort came and killed Lily. Sirius would never have gone to prison, because James knew who was the secret keeper. James would have had the opportunity to raise Harry. So what if Harry not only had a father who loved him, but who also devoted himself to raising up a son to be all that is possible for him to be. If there is a subtle message in this story it is this idea that we parents have a duty to our children to train them in all ways we can, and that a parent is at their best when they are devoted to their children.

I intend to follow the canon as much as possible and will be relying heavily on the books and .com to do so. There are places where I will "add" to the canon to flush out the world. Some of these ideas will be a nod to other fictions that I thought had a good idea. Please take its use here as a gesture of respect it is meant to be. I will endeavor to keep a list of such things not found in the books or the wiki here.

**-0-****« ****Background Data ****»****-0-**

**Noble Houses (Ancient Noble Houses, Most Ancient and Noble Houses)**

At one time the governing body of British wizards were organized in a feudal society under various Lords and Noble families. Each family had one seat on the Wizengamot, votes could be cast by proxy, but would be cast in the name of the lord of that Family. Wizarding Britain (which included Ireland and Scotland), was originally divided into 108 lordships, ruled by these wizarding lords. Muggle History doesn't reflect this, because muggle historians were confounded after the statute of Secrecy. The Wizengamot may hold full sessions if more than half its members (or their representatives) are present.

These lands were originally the basis for Nobility, but later as feudalism broke down, the basis became the hereditary seat on the Wizengamot

As families have died off or disappeared, the number active seats began to dwindle. The Wizengamot has twice voted to add certain families to the ranks of the Noble Peerage in what was called the first and second Noble Muster to fill those seats. Today, those families that have had a seat from the Wizengamot's formation are known as **Most Ancient and Noble Houses** (Like the Peverells, Gaunts, and the founders), those families that were added in the first Noble Muster are known as **Ancient Noble Houses** (Like the Longbottoms and the Blacks), those added in the second and final Noble Muster are known as **Noble Houses **(like the Lestrange's and the Malfoys). Despite the naming difference, there is no privilege or rights difference between the three ages of Noble Houses.

In modern Wizarding Britain only about a third of the Wizengamot's seats are filled by hereditary seats. The remainder are now filled by candidates who are nominated by wizards and witches in the old lordship that seat represents, and then affirmed by a vote of the standing Wizengamot.

Also in modern wizarding Britain, most people view Nobility as a silly status symbol that has some required civil service with it.

**Sea Elves**

The Elves aboard the M.S.S Marauder are not house elves per se. Or rather they are elves under a different contract. Remus, at Sirius' request, wrote a contract for the elves to be loyal not to a family, but to the Marauder navy (which presently consists of one ship). This requires that the elves conduct themselves like proper sailors, and were given some books to help them understand what that means (the Horatio Hornblower series). Sea elves are too be in a clean uniform at all times when on duty. Sea elves are set free if they are given shoes, as it means that have been removed form the sea and must walk on land.


	2. Chapter 2: List of Pranks

**-0-****« ****#1 Sirius and Harry "burn down" Remus' Library ****»****-0-**

When Harry was five years old he pulled his first prank alongside a marauder. Harry had been told stories his whole life of the pranks his dad and uncles were so infamous for. Wanting very much to be like them, young Harry asked Sirius if he could be in on the next prank.

Sirius looked down with a mixture of pride and amusement at his godson. They hadn't really pulled any great pranks since moving to the good ship Marauder. Yet here was young Harry reminding Sirius of one of the most important things in life, pranking one's best mates.

Sirius gripped his young ward's hand and gave his word as a marauder, they would prank Remus within the week.

…

Sirius and Harry met in the Library. Harry had a bag of black soot from the kitchen, Sirius had a cauldron and two bottles of potion. Confirming that everything was ready, they began. Harry resisted the urge to laugh as tossed soot at the exterior of the door, and then wiped his dirty hands on his face.

"That's enough Harry, you look smashing. Put the rest into the pot," said the dark haired man indicating the cauldron on the floor.

Sirius began casting stacked warming charms on the door and the outer hallway and especially the door handle. He then cast a crying hex on Harry, and tears started to streak down the boys soot smudge cheeks.

Sirius emptied the contents of the two bottles into the cauldron they had brought to Remus' Library, and a billowing smoke began to rise out of the bottle.

He turned to Harry, who beginning to sob although he felt great. "Quickly now, get Remus!"

They turned and bolted out the now very hot door and hallway, Harry continued up toward the deck to find Remus while Sirius flicked the door shut with his wand and rendered the door both locked and magically stuck in place.

Remus was on deck talking with James when a crying soot covered Harry burst out up from the hatch, screaming for Remus in his high pitched voice. The two were in motion immediately running up to the boy. James said in an almost yell, as he rushed to pick up his on "Harry are you alright!"

As rehearsed, Harry said his lines in between the magically induced sobs like a pro. "I'm ::sob:: fine, but I burned every ::sob:: thing! I'm ::sob:: sorry uncle Remus! I ::sob:: just wanted to look at the books…"

Both adults began making shushing sounds, telling Harry it was okay, was he okay? And, what happened?

Refusing to smile, Harry took a deep breath as the crying charm broke and set the hook, "I was in the library, reading the books, and the pictures scared me. And fire came out of my hands toward all the books. They're on fire!"

Remus' face froze and his eyes widened in horror.

James looked to him and said, "Go! I'll take care of Harry."

Without a word Remus drew his wand and ran down the hatch, into the now smoky hall, toward his library.

James pulled his son into a hug and whispered, "It's okay son, I'm just glad your okay."

With a laughing grin, Harry said his final line, "Dad it's okay, we really want to get down and watch." Then slowly and deliberately just as Sirius had told him "This is marauder business."

James froze and pulled his son back to look into his happy face in shock. "…Sirius?" he asked, raising a palm to his open mouth.

Harry nodded.

James now wore a crooked grin, "Well come on then!"

They found Sirius and Remus in the smoke filled corridor. The two wizards had their wands pointed at the door. Apparently trying to open the door to a fire filled library, in actuality Remus was trying to open the door, and Sirius was applying various locking, bracing, and sticking charms.

Remus was getting desperate, he pointed his wand "_Reducto!" _and the door exploded inward. Remus rushed into a library so thick with smoke that the others lost sight of him.

With a grin and a wink to James and Harry, Sirius banished the smoke from the hall. James, knowing what was coming, pushed Harry toward Sirius.

Moments later, Remus emerged from the room holding a now sealed shut cauldron. The windows were open in the Library now, and the smoke was rapidly clearing. Remus looked at his two best friends in the world, and the 'innocent' boy who were all rolling with laughter at the moment.

Amidst his laughter, James was waving a hand at the two pranksters. Sirius made a mocking bow while putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Guilty," he said, and then continued laughing.

Remus, fighting a grin of his own, said calmly, "This means war."

**-0-****«**** #2 Harry ties down Sirius' broom ****»****-0-**

Remus Lupin was an exceptionally skilled wizard. His skills were precise and methodical. His world travels were expanding the realm of his knowledge and his magical repertoire. So it was with some delight, that Remus was going to get his revenge on Sirius with three very basic spells.

They had traveled in their magnificent ship, the M.S.S. Marauder, to the ice bound continent of Antarctica to see some of the exotic magical wildlife and visit the tribe of wizarding inuits there. The ship itself had been put under a number of warming charms and wind warding spells, so the air on deck was only slightly brisk even in the strongest wind. In any case they all had cloaks, pants, shoes, hats and scarves and goggles that had been charmed against the wind and charmed for warmth. They could walk among the sub-zero frozen ranges of Antarctica, without feeling the ambient temperature.

Remus and Harry woke a bit earlier than normal. They had Marauder business to be about.

Harry took one of the long silk ropes used on the ship and tied one end to the ships railing, and one end to the base of Sirius' broom just above the bristles, stuffing the trailing rope into the bristles to keep Sirius from noticing.

Remus then carefully cast three simple spells on the rope; A Notice-Me-Not, a Feather-Light, and a Disillusionment. The rope faded from recognition, and Harry tugged the broom around, he grinned as the now weightless rope couldn't be felt at all.

Harry set Sirius and his own broom on the starboard rail and Remus' and James' brooms on the far side. Harry called one of the ship-elves and asked that they lay out the Quidditch gear next to the brooms. They usually played a four man game of Sea-Quidditch every Saturday afternoon.

Sirius and James must have already been up before the elves began apparating, because the two wizards came on deck just as the elves began their labor.

Sirius yawned and scratched the scruff of his chin. "Quidditch before breakfast? What's got you so excited Harry?"

Harry grinned, and remembered the lines for this prank, "I've been reading Quidditch books, and I want to see if I can trick dad into a Wronski Feint."

All three men grinned at the boy, and Sirius ruffled his hair. "Your not supposed to tell HIM that, young scamp."

The spirit of poor innocence Harry responded, "Why? He already knows what it is don't you dad?"

His dad grinned, unwilling to laugh at the son who loved Quidditch as much as he did. "Yes son I know about it. We'll see if I'm up to the challenge, after breakfast."

"Bosun." A uniformed but barefoot elf popped out of nowhere and responded with a salute, "Yes captain!"

"Breakfast on the quarterdeck if you please." James instructed.

The elf snapped his fingers and a round table and four chairs appeared on the quartereck. Moments later, breakfast seemed to unroll into existence. The four wizards sat down and began to tuck in.

After breakfast, they donned their Quidditch gear, and took flight. As planned, Harry attempted Sirius flashy spinning broom mount and fell off his broom onto the deck before lifting off. Sirius refrained from laughing but demonstrated a successful Sirius-spin-mount without a word, and was off into the air quickly joined by the others.

Bosun elf ordered his crew to levitate the two rings over the water and opened the chest containing their Quidditch balls. First he spun the spinning ward stone to activate the low power ward that caused a ring of minor splashing that defined the boundaries of the game. Then looked to the wizards for the queue to begin the game.

Sea Quidditch was an invention of James and Sirius, with the rules written and the rings and wards created and enchanted by Remus. Each player is equipped with a beater's bat (looped to their wrist), and can perform the task of beater, chaser, or Seeker, but "Keeping" or ring-tending was not allowed. A player cannot be in front of his own goal for more than three seconds.

Seeing that the players were ready, the Bosun released the two quaffles, a modified soft leather bludger and snitch, James wasn't going to let five year old Harry play with iron bludgers yet no matter how good a flyer he was.

Remus and Harry rushed forward and each caught a quaffle for their team. Sirius moved toward a center position between the boat and his and Harry's ring. While James moved to cover to the right to be in position for one of his chaser plays. Harry drifted off to the high right, holding his quaffle and watching his dad match his position on the opposing side.

Without any preamble Harry cried, "The Snitch!" and dove at the water below James.

From the middle of his side, Sirius groaned. He watched as Harry dove quickly toward the water, and James moved more slowly above him. James clearly was not fooled by Harry's first Wronski and was probably just making sure he was close if Harry went in the drink. He glanced at Remus…

Remus had taken advantage of Sirius distraction to the left side of the field and shot to the right, tossed his quaffle into the air and smacked it with the beater for a long shot at Sirius and Harry's goal ring.

Sirius whipped his broom around and raced toward the goal, judging the angle of the quaffle and saw that he could just make it. Remus was a wily old werewolf but should have known better than to take that long of a shot.

Sirius was just a blink away from the quaffle having reached top speed when his whole body suddenly jerked and he was flailing. His mind unable to comprehend what had happened quickly enough, he reached for the broom that he must have lost his handhold on, Remus was sure to make his goal. He didn't find the broom handle between his legs, and the world seemed to be behaving strangely. Sirius screamed as the calm icy waters of the Antarctic seemed to fly up and engulf him.

…

A few minutes later shivering but finally dry Sirius Black sat in front a fireplace trying to sip his Pepper-Up Potion, while his friends laughed.

Remus caught his eye amidst the mirth and said, "Padfoot you cold, cold, cold hearted bastard, leave my books alone."

Sirius shivered and tried to smile as he nodded, "Alright Mooney, no books." He sipped his mug, "Merlin's beard Remus! Haven't you ever heard of a proportional response?"

They all laughed.

**-0-****«**** #3 James and Harry embarrass the others about 'the talk' ****»****-0-**

James and Harry have had the birds and bees talk, years ago, but decided to not tell his Sirius and Remus because it is fun to watch them squirm in embarrassment.


End file.
